Ink-well cover



(No Model.)

A. R. SPRAGUE.

INK WELL GOVER.

No. 44Z,'403. Patented Deo. 9, 1890.

Gimme/ty UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMERIN R. SPRAGUE, OF MILVAUKEE, lVlSCONSI.

lNK-WELL GOVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N'*c'.l442,403, dated December 9, 1890.

Application filed April 25, 1890. Serial No. 349,478. (No model.)

T0 (LZZ whom it may cancer/t.-

Be it known that I, ALMERIN P... Sraacun, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Iinprovements in Ink- Tell Covers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof. V

My invention relatcs to covers for ink-wells, such as are usually provided forschool-desks, &c.; and my invention consists in certain peculiar and novel features of construction and arrang'ement, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanyng drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view ot' an ink-well cover embodying my invention and the ad jacent portion of the top of a desk to which the cover is applied,thewell-coverbeing in closed position. Fig. 2 is a view silnilar to Fig. 1, showing` the cover in open position. Fig. 3 is atransverse Vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4- is also a transverse Vertical section 011 the line 4: a of Fig. Fig. 5 is a transverse Vertical section of the cover on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. G is ahorizontal crosssection of the stem of the cover on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 'Tis a view similar to Fig'. 3, but illustra-tingamodified embodiment of my invention. Pig. 8 is a rear clevation of the cover shown in Fig. 7

The objects of my invention are to produce a cover for the ink wells of school-desks which shall be inexpensive and very durable in construction, and which when closed shall without the aid of packingeffectually exclude dust and dirt from the well and completely avoid evaporation of the ink. Furthermore, to produce a cover which shall open and close noiselessly,- and which shall be accurately fiush with the top of the desk when closed; also to prevent any liability to accidental breakage of the cover when either open or closed, and to render lthe cover easier to close than to open, so that it shall usually remam closed, and at the same time to facilitate the proper opening' of` the cover when access to the ink is desired.

It is well known to teachers and others engaged in similar work that the ink-well covers heretofore provided for school-desks have been seriouslydefective and have occasioned much annoyance by reason of their noisiness in opening and closing, their liability to be left open by the pupils and to conscquent injury and rapid destruction by contact with the books and other articles upon the desk, and the rapid waste of i'nk by' evaporation as well as its spoiling by the admission of dust and dirt to the ink. These defects are especially noticeable in the hinged types of wellcovers, and are by no means obviated by any forms of laterally-swinging` covers produeed previous to my presentinvention. As willbe seen, I entirely overcome these defects by virtue of the construction which I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawings, A designatesthat port-ion of the top of a school-desk which contains the aperture a, in which the usual ink-well B is supported, so as to depend below the top of the desk. This aperture is preferably, although not necessarily, of the usual circular form adapted to sustain a cylindrical well, although a square or other form of well maybe employed, if desired. In any event the arrang'ement is such that the upperportion of the well is depressed below the level of the top of the desk, this result being usually accomplished by countersinking the top of the well into the aperture. At one side of this aperture is formed a Vertical opening or socket C, which is eircular in cross-section and extends completely through the top of the desk, the axis of the socket being' parallel with the aXis of the aperture a., before desoribed. Theupper end of the socket C is connected with the upper part of aperture a by a groove or elong'ated recess D, which is formed in the upper surface of the top A and extends laterally from the socket O, as shown.

E designates the cover, which is preferably of the circular or disk form shown to corre a, but which may obviously be of square,

than the length or depth of the openingior socket O, so that the lower end of the'gstem projects considerably below the lower end of the socket, or at least a distance somewhat greater than the Vertical thickness of the convex part of the extension c.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the lowel` extremity of the stem F is reduced, as shown at f, to enter an eye in a square or angular plate G, the lower end of said reduced portion being upset or formed into a head to retain the plate in position.

The structure shown in Fig. 7 is in all respects similar to that above described, with the exception of the stem F. In thisinstance the angular plate G is dispensed with and the lower end of the stem is flattened, as shown at H. After the stein has been inserted into the socket C the flattened portion H is bent from the straight form shown in dotted lines toV the curved form shown in solid lines, the stem being preferably of malleable iron, so as to permit this bending to be readily effected. This bent portion H prefcrably projects from the stem F in a line at right angles to the extension e, as shown, fora purpose to be presen tly ex-plained.

The manner of using and manipulating the above-described structure is as follows: Assum-ing the cover to be in the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 7, the hand is thrust into the desk and a finger is applied beneath stem F to lift the latter. This raises covcrE off from the cavity (o and lifts the concave portion e' out of the groove D. By now slightly crooking the finger alateral pressure can be exerted upon one of the sides of the plate G, which causes the 'cover E to swing laterally away from aperture a, the stem F acting as a pivot. During this swinging movement the concave portion e' glides easily upon the top of the desk without marring the same, and also prevents the under side of cover E from coming into contact with the top'and daubin g it withink. This latter office of the concave portion e' also continues as long as the cover rcmains open. By virtue of the peculiar direction of the bend II in Fig'. 7 relative to the direction of extension of the cover from the stem F the lateral pressure of the finger is facilitated in swinging the cover open, as described. In order to close the well, the cover E itself is directly manipulated so as to move ioward the aperture a, into which it will fall by gravity, as will also the convexity e' into its groove D. Then the cover is in closed position, it lies fiush with the upper surface of the top of the desk, and is thus effectually protected against injury by violent contact with books or other articles on the desk, and when open any such contact will simply close the cover without injuring it. The cover cannot be pulled out of place either when open or closed, and it is entirely noiseless in its action. Then closed, the cover effectually excludes dust and dirt from the well without the aid of packing; but it is obvious that packing may, if desired, be used without departing from the essential spirit of my invention. Furthermore, it will be seen that as the cover is more easily closed, either intentionally or accidentally, than it is opened (although the latter is by no means a difficult operation) it will usually be found closed, except when the ink is being used,.and thus the ink will be constantly protected against evaporation, and dust will also be constantly exclude'd.

lVhile I have described myinvention as applied to school-desks, to which it is peculia'rly adapted, it pis obvious that it can. be with equal eflicacy applied to office-desks and' Writing furniture generally without involiving' any departure from the essential spirit of my invention.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire tol secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. An improved cover for ink-Wells, comprising a covering-plate and an elongated stem formed integrally therewith and extending downward therefrom and constitnting the sole pivot for the cover, substantially as described. w

2. A11 improved covering for ink-Wells, comprising a GOVering-plate, an extension projecting laterally from said plate and having a convex under side, and a stem or pivot ex- IOO tending downward from the outer end of the extension, substantially as described.

3. An improved cover for ink-Wells, comprising a co\'ering-plate, an extension projecting laterally from said plate and having a convex under side, and a stem or pivot extending downward from the outer end of the extension and provided at its lower end with a finger-piece, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a desk-top having an aperture to receive an ink-Welha vertical opening or socket, and a groove connecting the upper end of the socket with the 'aperture, of a well-cover comprising a coveringplate, an extension projecting laterally from IIO the covering-plate and having a o onvex under side, and a stem or pivot extending downward from the outer endof the extension. and having a finger-piece at its lower end, substantially as described.

to. The combination, with a desk-top having an aperture to receive an ink-Well, and a groove extending laterally from said aperture, of a cover comprising a plate to fit the In testimony that I claim the foi'egoing I have hei'eunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, Ic in the county of Milwaukee and State of lisconsin, in the presenee of two Witnesses.

ALMERIN R. SPRAGUE.

Witnesses;

H. G. UNDERWooD, WM. KLUG. 

